Times Observer photo by Brian Ferry Hometown Hero Banners featuring 14 veterans and active-duty personnel from the City of Warren hang along the 200 block of Liberty Street this summer.

By JOSH COTTON

jcotton@timesobserver.com

Last summer, the Kinzua Blue Star Mothers rolled out a Hometown Heroes banner program on Liberty Street.

Thirteen banners were put up with plans for as many as 50 but the project came to a bureaucratic halt — they needed an agreement with the city for the program to move ahead.

The issue was discussed during Monday’s work session and Mayor Dave Wortman stressed the goal of approving an agreement either at the February or March meeting to ensure the program can be implemented this year.

Skyla Govier, president of the Kinzua chapter, said they intend to use Warren as a pilot program for the banners with the goal of expanding to other municipalities.

She said that Penelec permitted using their poles for banners but said Penelec requires the city’s permission. She added that they also carry insurance for the banners that were up last summer.

“We would love to see the whole city lined with our veterans,” she said. “(We) already have 100 people on our list at this point in time.”

One of the issues raised the first time this issue was before council was the level of connection a person has to have to Warren to be included on a banner.

Do they need to have been born here? Lived here? Worked here?

Govier said their qualification for banners is that the veteran – active duty or retired – was born or lived in Warren County.

“Every one of our banners that were put up,” she said, “had some tie to Warren County.”

There was also discussion about when the banners would stay up with Govier suggesting Memorial Day through Veterans Day.

Which poles to be utilized was also addressed.

City Manager Mike Holtz said there are 100 of the black, formal polls but that some of them are in obscure locations. He said some Penelec poles would likely be utilized and proposed that they work “inside out” starting in the downtown and working out.

There are some hurdles to getting the agreement together.

Councilman John Wortman said he had legal questions surrounding the proposal while Councilwoman Wendy McCain noted that “other communities all over Pennsylvania are doing Hometown Heroes banners. I don’t understand why we have to spend money on a lawyer to do something everybody else is doing.”

“It’s not out of line to have legal questions relative to entering into a legal agreement with an outside entity,” Mayor Dave Wortman said.